Tenant became verbally abusive calling me names (b word), yelling, etc. She had been a good tenant until she damaged property (unintentionally) and I told her she needed to pay for the damage.

She says that she wants out of her lease. I don't think that she was expecting me to let her out of lease, but I think that I will if she cooperates with showings for prospective tenants.

This won't go through. I wonder if it's too long.

Also, I don't want to lose a month's rent because of this tenant, so I want to show it with her still living there. How do I get her to cooperate with showings and not stand there calling me a b**** during showings? She said that she won't be around for showings, but someone told me that she might retaliate in various ways, including putting something on Craig's List, damaging property, etc. Cooperation is subjective, so I'm not sure how I would word that in a document that would end her lease early.

People go from cold to hot within seconds, depending on issues. If you re-address your tenant after she cools down, you can come to terms.

Many times when a tenant causes damage to a rental I know its hard to collect, they have limited funds. So I ask them whom do you think should pay for the repair? Me, you, your children or the tooth fairy? I then make a proposal. If they agree to pay for the material costs, I will do the labor myself.

Case in point a tenant broke a front window to an apartment building and it had to fixed ASAP. I asked how did it get broken and I was told someone drove by and threw a stone through the window. But the glass was broken from the inside out.

I asked they to pay for a sheet of glass and I would install it, no labor cost to them. I asked them for $35 and the couple refused. So I then hired a professional glass company and had it fixed for $125. I sent the tenant a bill. When it wasn't paid, I asked them to give me $10 a month towards the window glass replacement. Again they refused.

Instead of having another vacancy, I deducted it from their deposit and sent them an accounting. I then raised their rent and asked for their deposit to be brought back up to the required amount.

Thanks Robert, but we are way past that point. I have tried to work out a payment plan, etc. for months and have been back and forth with this tenant. She absolutely refuses to agree to pay anything and took advantage of my needing to be in the property to take care of something to become extremely hostile and abusive. I wonder if I should have called the police in case she escalates things even more in the future.

For me, in my lease, I am protected from abusive language or behavior that a tenant decides to rain down on me. I would terminate her lease immediately. Give her the minimum required notice and get rid of her. Hopefully your lease has such protective language within. You could begin advertising the place for rent but I doubt I would try showing with her in there. That could be trouble.

In my state I'm allowed to audibly record the abusive language with one person consent (that's me). Check your own state's laws regarding this. Even if two party consent is required you could let her know you were going to record her and get her response.

It wouldn't hurt to get your attorney's advice regarding this entire matter, but most are very conservative in their responses. I don't really see the need for an attorney to write a letter but often a good attorney could possibly save you several hundred or thousand dollars with pertinent and valuable advice, then it could be very worthwhile.

YOU ARE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT

she wants out

give her a letter stating the conditions under which she will be let out of the lease

1) state date of vacancy

2) state that she must be out of house when you show it and you will give proper notice

I would let her go. She may have a difficult time finding her next place, so she might not be put on time. So, me, I would wait until she is completely gone before showing. She may leave you some nice surprise damages on the way out that need repairs before new tenant can move in. Doesn’t matter, at that point who broke what, it DOES matter though that you would have a great new tenant all lined up, then YOUR end of the deal cannot be upheld because the place was trashed. So, get this one out first.

Oh, for showing furnished: nice card table and chairs with tablecloth, air mattresses stacked to make a queen bed, nice bedspread or quilt, if you want to get fancy, headboard made out of pretty pillows on the bed. A couple of IKEA chairs, those ones we all have where it’s the wood frame with fabric or leather cushions. Add nice set of bath towels in the bathroom, a simple shower curtain. A few decorative chokes, vases of willow sticks, or whatever. All that can be stuff pulled from your own house, and would all fit in one minivan load.

And, if you are showing over spring, summer, of fall, don’t forget a nice container of flowers on the front porch. Bring them home to your house when you are done. Or, leave for your tenants, if you wish. ( one of the speakers at convention will tell you, nothing like a bright cheerful pot of yellow flowers to bring in the good tenants!)

All of that is much leads anxiety and work than dealing with a hostile tenant.